Navigation des articles

During Easter holiday, my Yemeni friend and I thought about holding a brunch at my place and prepare typical breakfast dishes from our respective countries.

After few minutes of brainstorming our eventual menu , we were » lost in translation!!

Me: what ? kofta , beans, liver …for breakfast ! I ‘m afraid, I can’t swallow those dishes at such an early hour!

She: oh My! You can take honey soaked baklawa , jam and creamy pastry and frown upon beans and egg! ?

Well, Algerians have a lethal sweet tooth and seldom serve savory dishes on breakfast and though I’ve been staying overseas for more than a decade and live in a country where rice is eaten for breakfast, I stayed more or less faithful to my country’s traditions.

If I need to sum up Algerian breakfast – and by extension North African , I would say:carbs ( bread, buns, traditional pancakes, cookies , pastry )
Fat ( butter or olive oil ) and tons of sugar, honey and any thing in between!

The french influence is also very present and goes in harmony with the choice of our traditional carb/ sweet breakfast menu!.

Indeed, the concept of a heavy Middle-Eastern breakfast called rayou/ rayoug ( ريوق) is non existent in North Africa… Breakfast is not as important as lunch , dinner or afternoon break . People are usually early birds, they drink their coffee/ mint green tea , take light sweet breakfast in order to make room for their noon lunch .

In Yemen, breakfast, is the most important meal of the day, heavy and savory dishes like red beans, fried kofta, mutton liver are usually served.

Dolma besalq…..or Algerian spinach/chard meatball tajine is an easy way of turning your regular meatball dish into something more sophisticated and great trick of sneaking vegies into your picky kids menu.

A family heritage that my mom and grand ma used to prepare during winter when spinach and chard are abandant….
Like all Algerians, we always accompagny the sort of gravy-like dishes with bread, but rice can be excellent alternative as well. You may also « Italianize’ the dish by adding parmesan cheese to the meat mixture, and serve it with pasta.

Give it a try, sure you will like it as did my friend kouky – click-Silvi ( click),and souhila ( click) who cleverly used the spinach meat mixture to prepare her cannolleni. I have yet to try this version

Oil your hands before Rolling the mixture into small meatballs. Set aside.

Tomato sauce:
In a large pot, heat chopped onion , add minced garlic and spices . Dilute the tomato paste into some water, add in to the pot, Reduce heat to low, drop, meatballs into the sauce and simmer for 15 mn.
Correct seasoning by adding a bit of crashed Chicken or meat cube. Add a knob of butter if desired.
Decorate with minced parsely and lemon wedges . Serve hot with Algerian bread for an authentic meal, french baguette or even rice or pasta
Enjoy!

Hello/ salam out there
How are you doing? Hope every one has spent great holidays and Eid
I apologize for not being much on line the last couple of months.
It was the children long holiday break in my part of the world, and I didn’t have time and energy to blog, as I was busy spending quality time with them .
But this didn’t stop me from cooking and baking…I have so many recipes and pictures waiting to be to shared ,so just stay tuned…
and let’s go straight to the core of today’s post…..

Through the past few months, my family and friends shared with me some pictures of different gatherings on diverse occasions, so I thought about sharing with you some elements of Algerian tea-time culture .

Do you have any idea about how a typical Algerian tea time gathering woud Look like, or mean ?

One of the most important social gatherings in Algeria is the daily session of tea or coffee drinking.as it firmly bonds the family and friendship ties and get people to chat, lough or gossip about life hilghlights.

Yasmina khadra( Algerian novelist of French expression) and Ahlam mostghanmy ( Algerian novelist of Arabic expression) sum up the importance of tea time gathring in Algeria …..

unlike middleastern and Turkish traditionion where savoury pastries and fingerfood can be served during social gatherings,
Algerians ( and North African in general), are great sugar addict…. the key ingredients for their morning and afternoon treats are sugar, honey, butter and a large variety of sweet pastries , either of Algerian origin like traditional cookies and pastries or of French origin such as les tartelettes, millefeuille, etc….

Here are few examples of Algerian traditional delicacies, usually served with a mixture of honey /sugar and butter

Chrik: Algerian buns from the city of Constantine, click HERE for the recipe

Traditional sweets like halwa tourk -Turkish halva- and jawziya ( Algerian nougat made with natural honey and nuts, very much appreciated in the city of Constantine )

Huzelnut stuffed dry figs

Jawziya, dates, and mssemens

Caprices ( left) Algerian toffee sweets

Green mint tea, black coffee and cafe’ au lait ( french influence for the latter ) are usualy served along trays of homemade delicacies.
Cookies, and traditional pastries are prepared all year long and kept in the freezer in case of unxpected guests as it’s extremely rude in Algeria to serve coffee on its own…..

In my region, and though copper ustencils are no longer widely used as in the past , the big ,one- meter large copper trays called siniyabou mitra are still used as they are very practical to carry the different thermos of coffee, cafe’ au lait, sugar , napkin holder, orange blossom water holder ( m’rach, مرش) and of course the different trays of cookies and pastries.

M’rach : orange blossom water splasher

This is typical siniya(copper tray ) covered with a cloth with thermos of black coffee, cafe’ au lait , and a » mrach » ( splasher ) filled with orange blossom water for those who like blossom flavour in their coffee.

Green mint tea is served in a traditional tea pot called berrad or bekraj and it’s usually served with tids bids like dry fruits and the like…..nuts like pinenuts and peanuts are put in the bottom of the cups and float on the surface after tea is poured.

Makroud ……or « sultan el maida « , is for North Africa what maamoul is for the Middle- East.

In Algeria , it’s considered the king of all pastry , without which, no gathering, no Eid, no ceremony would be complete….. This semolina , date filled shortbread is often prepared for religious festivals and happy events but can also be appreciated all year long .

Makroud gathers some of the most important crops that grow in the country, the wheat ( semolina) and the orange blossom water from the mountainous northern towns and the date from the endless oases of the south . The result is a scrumptious , crumbly delicacy that would always make you craving for more.

Makroud in Algerian Arabic dialect means lozange or diamond shape. During those days , where pastry moulds were limited, diamond shaped cookies were very popular as you won’t need any sophisticated mould except a knife to shape the dough into long cylenders then cut them diagonaly . This is explains the name of the other Algerian cookie, makroud , elouz ,the famous almond sugar coated cookie , that has nothing in common with the classical makroud except for its shape ,

Linguistically speaking,the word makroud has many different spelling and pronounciations, you can say

In France where the cookie is widely known and appreciated people have preffered to adopt theAlgerian capital pronouciation, due may be to the important Algeria diaspora in france or just because (the word makrout) is easier on the french tongue compared to the other pronounciations

In terms of Makroud, Algeria is divided into two schools. Half the country ( Eastern region) bakes the makroud , and the other half ( the centre and the west) fries it!!! And each regions claims to have the best version!

likewise , the filling may include almond paste , a signature of the capital Algiers, or the most common date paste

Algerians make their date paste ( called ghars غرس in Algerian dialect ) from their local date variety » deglet nour’. The soft date variety is pitted, steamed, then scented with cinnamon , or cloves powder, sometimes sesame seeds , or nuts are added before being kneaded with oil or butter.

Because, I come from the the Eastern region, I will share with you my tried and true recipe of baked makroud . It’s slightly different from the classical version as it it calls for soft butter . Iwas so impressed by the result that I wanted to share it with you all

ALGERIAN BAKED MAKROUD :

INGREDIENTS:

A box of 250g softened butter ( you may also use a paquet , but the box is more practical as you would need it to weigh the dry ingredients)
125 g oil ( half the box)
1 egg yolk
3 times the weigh of the box filled with semolina
2 times the weigh of the box filled with flour
a pinch of salt
a pinch of baking powder
1/2 the box of butter -( more or less)
Date paste

PROCEDURE:

Soften the date by microwaving it for few minutes or steaming it in the couscoussier . let it cool. season with a pinch of cinnamon or clove powder, add some roasted sesame seeds ( optional) knead with oil or melted butter until very soft. roll into long cylenders. set aside

mix all the above ingredients. except for the blossom water . simmer above medium heat up for 15 mn or so . add in blossom water. you may add in 1 tbsp of bee honey for more authentic flavour. set aside
Decoration:
1/2 cup roasted sesame seeds ( optional)DOUGH:

in a big bowl, mix the softened butter , oil , then the yolk until well blended, gradually add in the semolina, salt, and finish with the flour and the baking powder .mix with the tips of your finers until you get a soft, cumbly mxture.

slowly add the cold water ( to which you may add orange blossom water for more flavour) into the dough.a little at a time. the dough should be smooth and easy to work with. cover and let it sit for 1 hour.

while the dough rests, prepare the date filling as it’s exlained above
divide the dough into 4 to 5 equal portions . . each portion will be used for a filling

roll each part into a long rope . pinch the middle with your four fingers to make space for the filling. place the date cylenders inside the dough cavity. bring the edges togethers. seal . pinch off any excess dough.

roll the dough rope to smoothen it, making sure to keep the closed edges side underneeth to avoid the cracking of the makroud while baking.

for extra causion, sprinkle some flour while rolling the dough.

now you can either use the makroud wooden press to flaten and decorate it or cut the the dough cylenders into diamond shaped pieces and decorate it with a cookie crimper .

Place in a preheated oven at 220°C until slightly golden brown . It takes about 12 to 15 minutes.

it’s adviced to let cool before tasting it, by I always like to pop one or two pieces into my mouth while its still hot and the date still very soft…mmm yummy!

once completely cooled, keep in air-tight container or freeze. immerse into honey prior to eating.
syruping the makroud:

heat up the syrup, reduce the temperature , then plunge few makroud , let the syrup completely cover all the edges . turn constantly , until well coated. remove from the syrup, place the makroud on a sieve to remove the excess syrup.

at the stage, my whole house would be scented with honey , and orange blossom water which bring back to sweet memories of by gone childhood life…. :cry: :cry:
decorate with roasted sesame seeds.
serve with arabic coffee or North African mint green tea. and Enjoyyyyyyyyy!

Tucked into the south mediteran shores, the cuisine of Algeria is blend of the many civilisations that landed or ruled the country through out historty

The northern regions with their costal and mountainous nature blend their regional bounties with the influences of judeo berber ,turksih, moorish, arab and more recently french / piednoir influencesDelicate and soft spices such as cinnamon, ginger, turmeric are whidly used In this regionThe cuisine of the south in the other hand is spicer,, highly seasoned and bolder .Garlic, chilly, pepper, toMato paste, and a hot condiment called harissa are widely used.Tlitli is a delicious Algerian dish , made with artisanal or ready made pasta (orzo) combining the andalusian tradition of making one’s pasta ( see spanish fuedelo, Algerian trida …..etc) and the amazigh / berber steaming technique .Because rice is seldom used as a main dish,as it’s the case in the middle east, the sort of traditional pasta, which are steamed several times than Put to absorb the broth are often served as a main dish during gathering and ceremonies . The steaming technique makes the grains of orzo tender while keeping their size… A result you won’t get if you boil them in plain water I already included a tomato- free recipe of tlitli- like pasta in a former post. ,so , today, let me share with you another version I learnt from friend who is originated from oued souf , an Algerian city located in the South eastern region of the country .

this recipe calls for the use of tomato paste and an important amount of garlic added at the biggining and the end of the broth making . This simple step makes the dish more fragrant..Although a bit time consumer , Tlitli is is delicious and worth tryingt home. Ingredients

For Decoration :
2 or 3 boiled eggs quatered( optional)
small meat balls seasoned and cooked in the broth. ( optional )
traditionnally, we prepare this type of the steamed pasta in the couscous pot, called keskas, the broth in the lower part of the pot and the pasta in the upper part so it gets all the aromas coming out from the broth.

PROCEDURE:

over low heat, place the meat in the lower port of the couscous pot, brown it with the onion, ghee and species , stir continuously, add the chickpeas , and the tomato paste and one cup of hot water. give it a few boils then pour 1 and 1/2 L hot water. let it simmer over medium heat.
once the steam rises from the pot. add 1 or 2 drops of oil to the pasta, mix well so it gets coated evenly, and place it on the upper part of the couscous pot , just over the meat broth. let it steam for about 30 to 45 mn.
take down the upper part of the pot, and put the pasta in a deep wooden plate called « gasaa » . add some salt and pepper, and slowly sprinkle over one cup of cold water . let the pasta absorb the liquid. mix well with the tip of your fingers and return pasta to steamer and let it steam for another 30 minutes. return the pasta to the gasaa or the deep plate , with a laddle, scoop the top layer of the meat broth and pour it over the pasta . you may need two or three unfull ladlles. mix well , let the pasta absorb the broth and return it once again to the steamer.

check the broth. if the meat and the chickpeas are done, before the pasta gets tender. remove them, cover and set aside.

when the pasta is cooked, place it it in a disposible aluminum dish, cover it with the broth,add few nobs of butter , cover with foil , place in a preheated oven over medium heat for 20 to 30 mn , until the pasta absorbs all the broth.

once the pasta is well done. return it to a deep plate, check the seasoning, add some salt and cinnamon powder if required then an extra knob of butter if desired , mix well. spread the pasta in a deep traditional serving plate , spoon the chickpean in the centre, arrange the meat , boiled eggs and meatballs around .

J'aime :

Algiers…the capital, prides it self in being the origin of great range of almond based cookies , that combine the sun soaked north african nuts and fruits with the french inspired royal icing…

Made from a homemade ground almonds paste, a hint of lemon zest, topped with bright royal icing and decorated with a range of different designs……….mkhabez can be considered an iconic example of this culinary combination.

A classical , old- fashoned mkhabez would have a triangular shape , covered with white, blue or pink royal icing and decorated with a small drage’. Nowdays, mkhabez , like the rest of Algerian cookies have adopted a whole new sophisticated look ….and every year, a dozen of books are being published in Algeria ,offering new decorative designs that are very hard to beat.

I like to make mkhabez for Eid , not only because I’m an almond lover who can’t resist the yummy taste of these treats but also because they are very easy to make.

The hardest part is to wait for the icing to dry…… There are dozens of royal icing recipes out there, and every Algerian cookie- maker has her favourite….. The difficult part for the newbies is the absence of icing sugar weight in Algerian recipes and the relial on » your eye is your balance » policy…..

the icing recipe that I’m happy with is taken from one of meme Benberim books. as it yields a big quantity of icing, I always cut it unto half.

the traditional mkhabez recipe calls for 3 measures of ground almonds and 1 measure of fine sugar. I like to use half measure of sugar to make a balance with royal icing wich is already very sweet.

ALGERIAN MKHABEZ:

Ingredients :

3 cups of fine ground almond

1/2 cup of fine sugar

vanille zest of lemon

1 knob of unsalted butter at room temperature

1 or 2 whites depending on their size

PROCEDURE:

Combine fine ground almond with sugar , add vanilla, zest , butter. gradually add the egg white until you form a nice dough ( not dry nor sticky) . if you feel it’s too dry, add another white , one spoon full at a time ( beat egg white with a fork so you can use it easily ) if the dough sticks to your hand, you can add one or two tbsp of ground almond.

lightly cover your working surface with corn startch ( i prefer rolling the dough on a cling film ) roll your almond dough into 1&1/2 to 2 cm thick. deep the cookie cutter of your choice into cornstarch and cut your almond dough into any shape you fancy.

arrange the cookies on a tray covered with parchement sheet. bake for 10 to 15 mn . the cookie should look pale and uncooked when taken from the oven. leave completely to cool and dry .

you can prepare the cookies days ahead and freeze them before icing them.

ICING ( I halved the ingredients )

250ml of water

62gr sugar

1 egg white

1tbsp of orange blossom water

1 tbsp lemon juice

flavor and coulour of your choice

enough icing sugar to get a royal icing (about 700-800g for me)

PROCEDURE:

In a saucepan, combine the water, sugar, orange blossom water and lemon juice, cook for few minutes under low heat . leave to cool, incorporate the egg white then gradually add the sifted icing sugar until you get the desired consistancy ( neither runny nor stiff) add flavour and colouring of your choice.

dip the cookies in the icing ,remove and arrange on a tray or rack . when it’s half dried, decorate with marzipan flowes or almond halves.

I decorated mine with sugar flower and ready made marzipan , shaped into bunches of grapes, thanks to this silicone mould , kindly offred by my dear friend Koukywhen I payed her a visit in 2010.